


Muffled Scream

by Rangergirl3



Series: Whumptober 2019 [18]
Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Gen, Keith (Voltron) Whump
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-05
Updated: 2019-12-05
Packaged: 2021-02-26 05:28:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 943
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21678262
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rangergirl3/pseuds/Rangergirl3
Summary: Every encounter with the enemy takes its toll. Some, more than others.
Relationships: Allura & Keith (Voltron)
Series: Whumptober 2019 [18]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1506101
Comments: 11
Kudos: 166





	Muffled Scream

"Give us the Lions, and the Blade goes free."

On the comms screen, Allura's eyes were the only facial feature that showed her distress.

"No."

The Galra captain shrugged.

"It seems you require incentive."

Allura's lips went bloodless with tension when the mechanical sentry holding Keith's arms behind him forced the former Red Paladin to his knees.

Keith only shook his head, keeping his eyes locked onto Allura's face. 

_Don't do it, Allura. Please, don't._

Another Galra officer came to stand in front of Keith. When the soldier's boot smashed into his stomach, Keith doubled over, trying not to make any sound. The kick was followed by a backhand strike across the face. It hurt, but despite the taste of blood in his mouth, he still managed to keep silent.

"Oh _,_ " the lieutenant said, and the smile he gave showed every one of his razor sharp teeth. "You're the _tough_ one, eh?"

When Keith didn't answer, he was rewarded with another sharp kick to the ribs. He crumpled forwards, but the Galra soldier caught him by the shoulders and forced him to back up into a kneeling position. Hot breath stirred Keith's hair as the Galra officer hissed directly into his ear.

 _"Breaking you will be **fun**_."

Claws took tight hold his hair, yanking his head back and up, forcing Keith's chin up towards the ceiling before shaking him from side to side, the motions harsh and violent. It's meant to demonstrate that this bastard can do _whatever_ he wants to Keith, _whenever_ he so desires, and _however_ he wants to do it. It's brutal, and efficient, and it gets the point across as clearly as if the words were spoken out loud.

_I can do anything I want, and there's nothing you or anyone else can do to stop me._

* * *

From the other side of the room came voices.

Keith wished he could hear them clearly, but the Galra captain's words were the only ones he could make out.

"Surrender, and his pain will cease."

Despite himself, Keith felt a shiver run up his spine. The echo of the Trials mantra was eerie. But then, the Trials _had_ been a test. This was no different.

Keith had refused to give up then, and he _refused_ to do so now, consequences to himself be damned.

The Coalition couldn't loose the Lions. They _couldn't_.

"-llura -" he gritted out, forcing the words out between clenched teeth. "- _d-don't_ -"

He flinched, as something sharp and metallic dragged lightly across his upturned neck. It didn't bleed, though. Not yet.

"Be _silent_ ," the liutenant said into his ear, allowing the knife's edge to rest against the side of Keith's face, parallel to his ear. "Or I'll make you regre-"

Keith didn't hear the rest of the sentence, as he took that opportunity to bite down on the officer's ear, hard, and, when the bastard yelped in pained surprise, twist away from the knife just long enough to see his friends, one last time.

Patience was all well and good, but it had its place, and its time. But _now_ was the time for action.

So, instead of remaining 'silent' - _because fuck **that**_ \- Keith shouted as loud as he could at the comms screen.

* * *

He didn't do it because he was recklessly defiant, although he would be the first one to admit that he had a stubborn streak in him that was at least five miles long.

It wasn't because he had some hidden source of undaunted bravery, enough to defy the Galra Empire even as something twisted and vicious sought to beat him into submission.

It was because he had seen the fear in Allura's eyes, the despair in the way Coran's shoulders had hunched at the captain's demand.

He did it because he needed them to know, with absolute certainty, that he'd only go down after putting up some kind of fight.

* * *

Even as Keith turned his face back towards the comms screen, it was almost too late. At his side, the mechanical sentry was holding out some kind of device towards the lieutenant.

_"Don't do it, Allura!"_

The Princess of Altea stood as straight and as tall as a queen, and nodded at him, once, even as clawed fingers reached out, snatched at the thing made out of leather. Coran's face went as pale as death as the mess of cords caught the light.

A second mechanical sentry reached down with two cold metal hands.

Keith tried to twist his face away, but it was a battle that was lost before it began. Even so, he thrashed and bucked when the metal hands came to rest against both sides of Keith's face, forcing him to look straight up at the lieutenant, and what the Galra officer was holding. Yellow eyes gleamed maliciously down at Keith.

"It appears you need to be taught a lesson," the lieutenant purred. He reached out a hand and took hold of Keith's jaw, hard enough where it _hurt_. Keith tried to keep his teeth clenched tight together, but the sentry standing behind him twisted his arm up behind him, threatening to break the bone. When that didn't work, the leiutenant forced Keith's teeth apart far enough to force a thick leather strap between them.

By the time the muzzle was on, Keith's entire body was shaking with fear, even though he did his best to ignore the terror coursing through him at the knowledge of what lay in store for him.

He'd bitten an officer. 

They wouldn't just let that slide.

Not when they could make an _example_ of him.

* * *

The worst thing about the beating that followed were the muffled screams.


End file.
